


Hit the Road Jack

by dyingpoet



Category: Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
Genre: Anxiety, Fluff and Angst, Running Away, i ship them so hard but this prob wont have them in a relationship, its just like bonding fam, just loads of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-31
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2019-02-25 21:46:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13221882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dyingpoet/pseuds/dyingpoet
Summary: Jim gets a call in the middle of the night from Plato





	Hit the Road Jack

Jim knew something was wrong the second the phone started ringing that night. His phone never really rang, they were new here so it's not like they had people ringing them up very often. Let alone ringing them at what had to be two in the morning.

His parents had gone out of town to visit his grandmother, who was sick, so he had been left alone for the weekend. Which was great, quiet too, but also meant he had to get the damn phone or else it would keep going.

So, he stumbled out of bed, shrugging on a jacket as he walked downstairs to get the phone.

"Hell-" 

"J-Jim is that you?" a voice cut him off from the other line, shaking and almost in tears

"Yeah," Jim said, still groggy from sleep, "Who is this?"

"Plato," he choked out, breaking into a sob from the other line.

"Woah, woah, woah kid calm down its okay," Jim said, alert now as he grew increasingly concerned.

"N-nono it's not, I-I can-can't," Plato cried, his voice shaking up a storm from wherever the hell he was.

"Hey, hey," Jim said softly, "What happened? I'm sure it's not that bad."

Jim was trying his best to keep calm for Plato's sake but it wasn't easy, the kid was clearly upset and he had to do  _something_.

"I-I ran away, a-and I-I don't have anywhere to go and it-it's so  _cold_ Jim, I don't know what to do," Plato choked out, crying less than he had been a moment ago but still sounding awful.

"Okay you're gonna be fine kid," Jim soothed, looking for his keys as he knew he was gonna go pick the poor kid up, wherever he was, "I'm gonna come and get ya, we can bring you back here and warm up, okay?"

"O-okay," Plato sniffled out, sounding so small and helpless that Jim wanted to punch anyone who had every made him feel like that.

"Where are ya?" Jim asked, carrying the phone with him to the laundry room and slipping on a pair of jeans and a shirt as he balanced the phone against his ear.

"I-I'm at the Sacramento Valley Station," Plato answered.

"Okay, just stay where you are, I'm coming right now," Jim said, slipping on his shoes.

"Okay," Plato whispered back, sounding on the brink of tears once again.

"Everything's gonna be all right, I'll be there soon as I can," he said back, his own voice shaking a bit now.

The other line clicked off, probably ran outta time, and Jim hung up himself, raking a hand through his hair as he left the house and walked toward the garage.

Jim really didn't think he'd ever been this on edge in his whole life, and he wasn't even the runaway. All he kept thinking about was Plato huddled in some dirty train station cold and crying. It really was cold, 'bout 40 degrees, January in California could get pretty cold despite what most people thought.

He opened his garage and got in his car, starting it up and getting on the road fast as he could.

He knew where he was going for the most part, so he gripped the wheel tight and pressed on the gas, trying to get there as fast as he could without getting pulled over. He needed to get to Plato because Plato was small and broken and he needed someone right now and god knew no one else cared enough about the kid to go and help. 

That kid had quickly become one the most important people in his life, despite having only known him for about a month since they got here, he would really do anything for him, including drive fifteen miles through the California mountains at two in the morning.

The roads were clear so he was making real good time, and was so lost in thought and worry that he almost missed the turn into the station, he jerked the wheel quick, pulling into a space and getting out of his car fast as anything.

The station looked almost completely empty, not much more than a dingy building where you could wait for your train, and an awning hanging off facing the tracks.

That's where he saw Plato, huddled in on himself and shaking, Jim almost tripping over himself as he jogged over to the kid.

"Plato?" He asked, stopping about a foot away from him so he wouldn't crowd.

Plato looked up from his knees that were pulled up to his chest, and Jim's heart nearly broke when he looked into the poor kid's eyes. Jim had always loved Plato's eyes, they were a soft and expressive brown, but now they looked so wild and scared it was like he was looking at a whole different person.

Before he could even say anything else, Plato jumped up and into his arms, which Jim wrapped securely around him as Plato sobbed into his shirt.

"Shh, it's okay baby, it's okay," Jim whispered, resting his head on top of Plato's and rubbing small circles into his shaking back.

They stayed like that for about five minutes, Plato crying and shaking and Jim holding him, whispering to try and calm him down.

Once Plato's crying slowed to a stop, Jim slowly detached him from his chest and held him at arm's length, rubbing his arms comfortably as the kid sniffled and looked down at the ground.

"I-I'm sorry," Plato said, so quietly that Jim barely heard him.

Jim let go of his arm for a moment to left Plato's chin, connecting eyes with him, "You got nothin' to be sorry for kid, it's all okay."

Plato looked like he might start crying again, and he was shivering so much Jim thought he just might fall over, so Jim quickly slung an arm over his shoulder and led him over to a bench on the other side of the building. Plato was leaning into Jim's side so much he might have laughed in a world where he wasn't in the middle of no where with his best friend who was scared out of his mind.

One he had Plato sat down he quickly took off his jacket and handed it to the boy, who took it wordlessly and put it on, shivering less already.

"Okay kid," Jim said softly, sitting down and rapping an arm around Plato, "What happened? Why're you all the way out here huh?"

Plato was looking down, wringing his hands together for a moment before he looked up at Jim, "I-I couldn't stay there any longer, my mother got back about a week ago and she left again this afternoon."

At this point Jim grabbed Plato's hands, rubbing circles on the backs of them to try and stop them from shaking.

"I don't know what I did, Jim, I really don't, she  _hates me_."

Plato didn't cry after he said that, just curled into Jim's side as he started shaking again.

"She doesn't hate you Plato, she's just bad at bein' a mother, it's not your fault," he said softly into Plato's hair, hating that kid's mother with his whole body in that moment.

He felt Plato nod silently, though he knew he didn't really believe him.

They sat there for another good ten minutes, Plato breathing into Jim's side while he slowing rubbed Plato's arms, trying to warm him up and calm him down.

"C-can we go back to your house?" Plato asked silently, not looking at Jim, probably afraid he would say no, which was laughable, there was no way in hell Jim was sending Plato back to that place.

"Sure kid, course we can."

Plato moved away from his side after that, almost managing a smile as they both got up, heading for Jim's car in a light silence, Jim's arm still protectively around Plato's shoulder.

They both got in and Jim started the car, immediately putting on the heat, opening his mouth to say something to Plato, but quickly replacing it with a grin as the kid was already passed out, worn out from the stress of running away.

"Damn kid, you could fall asleep in a hurricane," Jim breathed, laughing a bit as he did his best to avoid potholes so he wouldn't wake him.

The rest of the ride was peaceful and quiet. Jim kept looking over at Plato while he slept, he was adorable, all the anxiety and stress left his face as he curled into Jim's jacket, and he couldn't help but smile. 

When they pulled up to Jim's house, he pulled into his garage and took his key out of the ignition, getting out himself, and walking over to the passenger's side.

He didn't wanna wake the kid, he had a hard enough day as it is, so he opened the door and carefully picked him up bridal style, managing to close the garage and halfway to the door when Plato stirred, whimpering slightly in confusion as he looked up at Jim. His face breaking into a smile as he saw Jim struggling to open the door one handed.

"Jim, put me down," he laughed, squirming in his arms, embarrassed.

Jim barked out a laugh and tightened his arms around the boy, "Nu-uh, you've had a long day, you're too tired to walk."

Plato let out a playful whine as they walked inside, Jim kicking off his own shoes and shutting the door, still carrying Plato, and bouncing him in his arms a bit to make him laugh.

"You sure are light there kid," chuckling as Plato grew increasingly flustered, "It's like holding a chick."

Plato blushed, laughing, as Jim carried him into his room, tossing him lightly onto the bed.

Jim tossed him a pair of sweats and a hoodie, laughing when Plato hugged them to his chest instead of putting them on.

"You're supposed to wear em', not ask em' to marry you."

"I know, I know," Plato shot back, quickly taking off Jim's jacket and his shirt to put on the hoodie, doing the same with the sweats.

Jim quickly changed into his own pajamas and sat down on the bed next to Plato, playfully pushing him down on the bed when he tried to get up.

"Where you think you're goin'? You need to sleep kid."

Plato grinned at him from his place on the bed, "I don't wanna take your bed Jim, I can go on the couch."

"Ha, no way, I love ya kid but I know you'll get scared and won't sleep a wink," Jim said, grinning softly, "It's a big bed, we can share."

Plato looked real happy at that, "Thanks Jim."

Jim ruffled his hair and pushed him over to the other side of the bed, "Don't worry 'bout it bud."

Plato nestled into the blankets, instinctively curling into Jim's side, seeking warmth.

All Jim could see from his pillow was Plato's curly hair poking out of the blanket, and he smiled as he turned onto his side and wrapped an arm around the boy's back, starting to rub circles into his back again, noting that this was becoming sort of a habit with Plato.

"Night kiddo," Jim mumbled, drifting off quickly, tired from the stress of driving around all night.

"Night," Plato breathed back, already on the brink of sleep.

And as Jim drifted off with Plato against him, he felt like he was the luckiest kid in the world for moving to this town and meeting this weird, sweet, amazing kid that he could call his best friend.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Like I love runaway AUs for some reason so hope you enjoyed :)


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